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March 10, 1964 R. H. CHURCHILL 3,124,247

CANDLE PACKAGE Filed Oct. 28, 1960 United States Patent "cc 3,124,247 CANDLE RACKAGE Ralph H. Churchill, Chicago, Ill. (1201 Geringer Road, Algonquin, Ill.) Filed Get. 28, 196i Ser. No. 74,127 2 Claims. (Cl. 20665) This invention relates to a candle package which is particularly useful in connection with candles formed from low melting point Waxes.

Certain candles, such as the type commonly known as sanctuary candles, are customarily molded from waxes having melting points within the range of about 90 to 130 degrees F. Because of the relative softness and low melting points of these waxes, the candles from which they are formed require special protective containers for retaining their shape during transit, storage and use. Ordinarily, the containers comprise hollow glass cylinders closed at their bottom ends. Such containers or vessels are expensive in relation to total candle cost and, because of their weight and breakability, are inconvenient and expensive to ship and handle. The ultimate users, usually churches, funeral establishments and the like, are burdened with this inconvenience and expense, both of which are often considerable in view of the extensive and continuing demand for such consumable items.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a candle package which is relatively inexpensive and which is particularly adapted for use as a replacement item for permanent candle holders. Another object is to provide a candle package including a wrapper which may be easily removed from the candle prior to insertion of the candle into a suitable holder, ordinarily a permanent and highly decorated glass holder.

Other objects will appear from the specification and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a broken perspective view showing, in somewhat schematic form, the forming and cutting of candle sections;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view illustrating a further step in the method of forming a candle package;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view taken partly in section and showing a candle immediately after insertion into its wrapper;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational View, taken partly in section, which is similar to FIGURE 3 but which shows the package at a later step in the method;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which a plurality of candle packages may be supported for shipment and storage in vertical condition;-

FIGURE 6 is a broken perspective view illustrating a modification of the method of the present invention.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URES 1 through 5, the numeral 10 generally designates a candle or candle section formed by an extruding machine 11 and cut by blade 12. Candle section It), as well as the wax rod 13 from which it is cut, is preferably cylindrical in shape. Through the center of the rod extends a wick 14 which is sliced by a blade 12 as the extruded wax rod is cut into candle sections. Therefore, immediately after cutting, each candle section has a wick 14 of the same length as the cylinder of wax.

For reasons which will appear hereinafter, it is desirable to provide a relatively stiff wick for each candle section. This may be accomplished by using a leaded wick, as it is commonly known in the art, consisting of cloth fibers extending about a thin wire core of lead or some other low melting point metal.

While waxes of various melting point ranges might be used, the present invention has particular utility in the forming of candles from low melting point waxes. By

3,124,247 Patented Mar. 10, 1964 low melting point waxes, I mean waxes and wax compositions having melting points ranging between to degrees F. Such waxes are soft even at room temperature and result in a candle lacking the stability of form characteristic of candles made of hard high melting point Wax. Immediately following extrusion, and to a lesser extent when the candle section has cooled to room temperature, such waxes can best be described as soft, plastic and semi-solid.

Immediately following the extruding and cutting steps, the candle section ll? is inserted into a vertical sleeve 15 formed of paper or other flexible, deformable and nonstretchable material. The paper should be treated so that it is substantially non-porous and impermeable. While paper has been found highly effective for forming the sleeve or Wrapper 15, other materials such as foil or plastics having similar properties might also be used.

The length of the sleeve is the same as the length of a freshly cut candle section it) or, to put it differently, is the same as the length of leaded wick 14. The sleeves internal diameter is appreciably larger than the diameter of the freshly cut candle section and, as a result, such a section may be readily placed within the upright sleeve as indicated in FIGURE 2.

Sleeve 15 and the inserted candle section 10 rest on the non-porous surface of a suitable sealing element 16. Element 16 may be formed from any flat, non-porous and oil-impermeable material although a thin sheet of metal foil or some other material which tends to be cool to the touch is preferred.

Candle section It) is placed Within the sleeve immediately following the extruding and cutting steps while the wax is in a particularly soft and plastic condition. Lacking adequate lateral support because of the annular spacing 17 between the candle section and sleeve, the wax tends to flow outwardly to fill the space and, as a result, the upper surface of the candle section sinks downwardly below the tip of the wick to expose the wicks upper portion 18 (FIGURE 4). The downward and outward flow of wax continues until the wax exerts a firm outward force in all horizontal directions upon the non-stretchable sleeve.

The difference between the inside diameter of the sleeve and the diameter of the candle section immediately following extrusion depends upon the extent of wick exposure desired at the top of the completed candle. Ordinarily, the length of the exposed wick portion 18 should range between about one-eighth to three-eighths inches. Therefore, the volume of the annular space 17 should be substantially the same as the volume of wax which must settle downwardly and outwardly to expose a wick portion of desired length.

Since the sleeve is substantially non-stretchable, its inner diameter defines the diameter of the finished candle. While both the candle and the wrapper or sleeve are of cylindrical shape after the wax has sunk down into the position shown in FIGURE 4, it is not essential that the candle section 10 or the sleeve 15 be of cylindrical shape at the time the two are assembled (FIGURE 2). Generally cylindrical configuration for both at the time of assembly is preferred because it facilitates insertion of the candle section within the sleeve. Nevertheless, the flexible and deformable sleeve and the candle section will assume final cylindrical configurations even if they are non-cylindrical prior to the settling of the wax. As the soft wax settles, it tends to assume a shape of minimum volume and, since the sleeve is substantially non-stretchable, such a shape is necessarily cylindrical.

Metal foil has been found particularly effective as a sealing means for preventing leakage of the soft Wax from the bottom of sleeve or cover 15. While the reason for this is not definitely known, it is believed that the fact 3 that metal tends to be cool to the touch results in greater solidification of the wax at the base of the sleeve with less tendency for the wax to flow outwardly from the open end of that sleeve.

The candle packages as illustrated in FIGURE 4 may be shipped and stored as long as some means is provided for preventing tipping movement of the candle packages in response to the lateral forces which may be expected to occur during handling and shipment. Such lateral stabilizing means might take the form of partitions 19 and the walls 20 of a carton or container 21 as illustrated in FIGURE 5. The vertical dimensions of the compartments defined by the partitions are substantially the same as the vertical dimensions of the sleeves of the candle packages disposed within those compartments so that axial movement as well as lateral movement of the packages is prevented. It is to be understood that the bottom inside surface of the carton is lined or coated with foil or some other suitable wax-impermeable material to form a bottom wall corresponding exactly with sealing element 16.

FIGURE 6 illustrates a variation in the steps illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2. In FIGURE 6, the slicing or cutting step occurs after the candle section 10 has been inserted into sleeve 15, the two elements being cut simultaneously by blade 12. The sleeves are formed by a continuous strip 22 of sheet material which is continuously folded by a suitable forming element 23 which also brings the longitudinal edges of the strip together so that they will seal upon contact or upon the application of heat or the provision of some other condition prerequisite to the forming of a suitable seal.

While in the foregoing I have disclosed two embodiments of the invention in considerable detail for purposes of illustration, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many of these details may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A candle package and carton combination compris ing a carton having a fiat non-porous and wax-impermeable bottom surface therein and having upstanding side walls, at least one candle package extending vertically Within said carton and restrained against tipping therein by the cartons side walls, said package comprising a candle and a retaining sleeve therefor, said candle being formed of fiowable semi-solid wax of a melting point within the range of approximately to degrees F. and having a stiff wick extending vertically therethrough, said sleeve being readily deformable and being formed from flexible, non-porous and non-stretchable sheet material, said sleeve being open at both its top and bottom ends and having the edges defining the open bottom end thereof resting upon said flat wax-impermeable bottom surface of said carton, said sleeve also being maintained under tension and in cylindrical shape by outward forces imposed thereon by the semi-solid and flowable wax of 'said candle.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said candle is extruded and is of a vertical length less than said sleeve, said sleeve having the bottom edges thereof flush with the bottom of said candle, and said wick projecting upwardly above said candle and having substantially the same axial length as said sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,053,577 Craven Feb. 18, 1913 2,025,096 Deckert Dec. 24, 1935 2,143,576 Replogle et a1. Jan. 10, 1939 2,168,698 Bunt et al Aug. 8, 1939 3,002,221 Wright Oct. 3, 1961 

1. A CANDLE PACKAGE AND CARTON COMBINATION COMPRISING A CARTON HAVING A FLAT NON-POROUS AND WAX-IMPERMEABLE BOTTOM SURFACE THEREIN AND HAVING UPSTANDING SAID WALLS, AT LEAST ONE CANDLE PACKAGE EXTENDING VERTICALLY WITHIN SAID CARTON AND RESTRAINED AGAINST TIPPING THEREIN BY THE CARTON''S SIDE WALLS, SAID PACKAGE COMPRISING A CANDLE AND A RETAINING SLEEVE THEREFOR, SAID CANDLE BEING FORMED OF FLOWABLE SEMI-SOLID AND FLOWABLE WAX OF SAID CANDLE. 